Substance Abuse & Opioid Crisis

America has a substance abuse problem. Massachusetts has a substance abuse problem. Billerica has a substance abuse problem. Not a popular topic, but it is true - there is not one family in our community not affected by substance abuse and associated disorders. Addiction knows no race, age, creed, or color. There is no simple way to address these growing challenges. Like many social challenges, throwing money at the problem is not enough. We must take the time to evaluate the cost of our available services and compare them to the effectiveness of those options. We can start by approaching Addiction as a public health crisis and not just as a criminal offense.

We must continue working on prevention services, limiting opioid prescriptions, and continuing to monitor usage through physician and pharmacy integration systems. “No one is immune to the devastation that accompanies substance abuse, no one walks away unchanged - and some never get to walk away. We need to change that.”